Production Assistant / Direct Support Professional

Status: Full-time

Who We Are

At Sertoma Star Services, we’re on a mission to empower individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities and those living with mental illness to reach their goals and lead fulfilling lives. With a strategic presence in South Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, we proudly serve over 2,000 consumers through a diverse range of vocational, educational, therapeutic, and residential programs.

Sertoma Star Services’ roots trace back to the merger of two dynamic social services organizations, New Star and Sertoma Centre combining over 125 years of expertise in providing cutting-edge, person-first services. Our united commitment is straightforward: to transform lives through delivering comprehensive services, choices, and opportunities to those we support in an environment that promotes self-advocacy and personal success.

By joining the Sertoma Star Team you will have a unique opportunity to challenge limits and change lives. Together, we can shape a brighter future for those we serve.

Your Role

As the Production Assistant / Direct Support Professional, you will play a key role in training and supervising individuals who participate in our production program. This hybrid position blends hands-on support and skill-building with operational oversight, ensuring that each consumer is treated with dignity and respect while contributing meaningfully to vocational tasks. You’ll help foster independence, advocate for consumer rights, and create a structured, supportive work environment where productivity and personal growth go hand in hand.

Responsibilities

• Treats consumers with dignity and respect, while providing them with the support needed to become as independent as possible.
• Protects the rights of consumers by understanding their rights, educating them on their rights, and ensuring their rights are not violated.
• Supports consumers to reach their full potential in areas of productivity and vocational outcomes through training, soft skill development, and advocacy.
• Follows all quality assurance policies and procedures and monitors the quality of work performed to ensure the work meets the standards set by the customer.
• Works closely with production consumers to ensure jobs are set up appropriately to meet the individual needs of each consumer to support production output expectations.
• Works closely with the production manager and consumers to ensure all job requirements are completed in a timely manner to meet customer deadlines.
• Evaluates the consumers performance and provides regular feedback for continued growth and development.
• Ensures the health, safety, and well-being of the work force at all times by maintaining safe job practices.
• Implements employment related training and activities during times of no work to support consumers to increase vocational skills.
• Completes all required paperwork in a timely manner to ensure proper attendance, performance standards, quality assurance and consumer outcomes are documented.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED
• Knowledge or ability to learn to utilize a forklift, floor jacks and other equipment needed to completed production tasks.
• DSP Certification upon hire or successful completion within four months of hire.
• Knowledge of working with individuals with disabilities preferred
• Ability to effectively work with coworkers and consumers
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently and to carry out assignments to completion within parameters of instructions given, prescribed routines, and standard accepted practices
• Must maintain a valid driver’s license and meet agency driving requirements when required to provide transportation.

Benefits

• Generous paid time off
• 13 Paid holidays
• Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance Plans
• Employer Paid Insurance: Basic Life/AD&D and Long-Term Disability
• Employee Assistance Program
• 403(b) with company match
• Tuition assistance
• Eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness
• Ongoing training and development opportunities

Health, Safety, and Culture

Sertoma Star is an equal opportunity employer that embraces the uniqueness of every person. Sertoma understands that in order for you to work effectively and be an advocate of inclusivity, we must foster an environment that is respectful and sensitive to persons of all gender identities and from every cultural, socioeconomic, ethnic, religious, and racial background. Our open-door, team-building concept supports both agency goals and employee success.